If You Love It, Keep It Secret

Being a) interested in reptiles and b) from the eastern United States, I'd heard about bog turtles from an early age.  I thought it was so cool that one of the world's rarest turtles was native to my backyard (I mean... not my literal backyard, but you get the idea).  I didn't actually see on in the flesh until a few years ago, and I didn't see one on public display at a zoo until this year.

Sure, I lived in an area that bog turtles were native to, and if I had driven a half hour in certain directions and had known where to look, I might have even been able to find one  Therein was the problem.  I didn't know where to look - and that was partially by design.  Biologists and conservationists who study bog turtles - and many other reptiles and amphibians - keep their locations secret.

I once heard a joke that, as soon as a new species of reptile is discovered, the first thing that happens is two Germans buy a plane ticket (or an American or two).  Collection for the pet trade (or for food or traditional medicine) is a major cause of decline for many turtle species.  As species become rarer, their value increases and the remaining wild individuals become that much more valuable.  Some unscrupulous folks even make maps to likely collecting sites to sell to private collectors.  Biologists and conservationists need to know where remaining populations are in the wild - but if that information is published or shared (as scientific data traditionally is) they may inadvertently put those populations at risk.

As a zoo professional, I've been invited to visit some habitat sites for some rare, special animals (not bog turtles, it's true, but wood turtles, timber rattlesnakes, and various other herps).  I've loved to go and see animals in the field and take pictures, including a selfie or two.  I don't share those pictures on facebook, however, and I certainly wouldn't share the location of those sites.

I'm proud to have been able to experience these animals in their natural habitat, but betraying those same animals to illegal collectors would be a poor payback.